The preparation of hot drinks, such as coffee and the like, has long been associated with the brewing of grounds in hot water. Recently it has been found that by steeping grounds in water at cooler temperatures for extended periods, it is possible to prepare a beverage having distinctive characteristics associated with containing fewer chemicals having low solubility at low temperatures.
Producing beverages by cold water extraction, for example at room temperature for say twelve to twenty-four hours, can naturally filter out high temperature soluble chemicals such as fatty acids, caffeine and oils. Thus the resulting coffee has a distinctive chemical profile which is often considered more flavorful and more healthy than the same beverages produced by traditional hot water brewing.
Although beverages produced by cold water extraction may be popular, traditional coffee brewing systems such as coffeemakers, coffee filters, presses, percolators, cafetieres, espresso machines and the like which are often used to prepare coffee are inappropriate for use with cold water. For example, filter coffee systems may require that water passes through filters at a rate too fast for cold water extraction to be effective. Other systems, such as cafetieres and espresso machines, require water to be above boiling point in order to function at all.
Known solutions for preparing beverages using cold water extraction techniques, such as slow drip preparation techniques typically require very complicated equipment unsuitable for small scale use or use in a domestic environment. Nor is such equipment portable requiring that the beverage produced be consumed on site.
Thus a system and method is required for the simple and effective preparation of beverages, such as coffee, using cold water extraction as well as their storage in portable containers. The present disclosure addresses this need.